2007 July 14 - Hwy 1

{CLICK on photos to view full size images}

Now this started out as a Monthly NorCal Triumph Riders and Friends (NCTRF) Ride, but Phil T formerly a Triumph Daytona Rider and now a Nomad Rider invited the DAmico's to join the NCTRF group. Then Phil invited Cranky and a fellow Nomad rider from his home town of Citrus Heights to join the Ride. So now with 7 VROCers and Las an Honorary VROCer. We invited VROCers to join the Ride. In fact, I think we have more Vulcan Riders than Triumph Riders that actively participate in the NCTRF Rides.

Here is what one VROCer wrote:

Cranky wrote:
"I started at almost 0800, got home at almost 1900, if I give an hour to Jelly Belly and lunch, 10 hours of riding, and except for the super slab from home to Jelly Belly, damn nice country!!! Overall I traveled 378 miles!!! "
Here is a link to Cranky's Blog of the Ride.

We meet at the Jelly Belly. Note that Linda and Las decide to ignore the parking lot lines and park their bikes in the middle of the roadway.

The early part of the Ride is to head to Point Reyes Station and the Coast. Traffic is pretty heavy since the weather is perfect. But we manage to get through Sonoma County via Hwy 12 and Hwy 121 to Sears Point. Then over Hwy 37 to Atherton Avenue/San Marin Avenue around Novato. We "T" into Petaluma Point Reyes Road and soon pass the Cheese Factory. The All British Rally is held there by the BSA Club.

We start out with 13 bikes and 15 people as two are riding two-up.

Here we have reached Hwy 1 and are waiting for a break in traffic to get a bunch of bikes onto the highway.


Our first rest stop at Point Reyes Station. With so many bikes the normal gas station stop is not possible so we wind up at the edge of town.

This is Linda hamming for the camera.
Jess and Theresa.

Scott with a smoke.

Here I am taking a photo.We just take over the whole street.

Onto Hwy 1 we ride along Tomales Bay.

We quickly lose the sunshine and head into the fog. Boy am I glad that I did not take off my wind shirt. But my left hand got really cold, since I took off the left glove to take these photos over my shoulder.






We then turn inland for a lunch stop in Occidental. Not Negri's for a change but Howard's Station Café, which is owned by the Negri's.

Here's Cranky and Larry and Glenda C.
Eric, Jess, Jenn and Theresa.

The food was really good.

Las had a big cheeseburger with fries.

After lunch we break into various groups. The planned ride is made in two groups as we head over Coleman Valley Road to the Coast. This is a one lane road that heads over the hill right out of Occidental. We start in the sunlight.



Ah. But the fog is blowing in at 30 Knots as we near the summit. We miss the view of the Pacific that we would get when the air is clear. It is a spectacular view. But the fog has visibilty down to a few feet. Just before we get to Hwy 1 there is a nice little 12% down grade with a 180° turn that we take at 4 or 5 mph in the middle of the fog.

Seven bikes started from Occidental in Group 1 but two turn to the south when we reach Hwy 1. They head to Bodega Bay. We head on up to Duncan Mills and stay in the fog until just before Monte Rio. The visibilty is not nearly as good as the camera lens shows.
Gas stop at Guerneville for the second group.
Same gas stop as the first group.

Second group.

Heading out of Guerneville.
From Guerneville the Ride continues along River Road into Santa Rosa where River Road turns into Mark Springs West Road. This gets us into Hwy 128 just north of Calistoga. At Calistoga though the Ride heads over to the Silverado Trail which is a much nicer Ride than the really busy Hwy 128/Hwy29. Hwy 128 crosses the Silverado Trail where the Ride heads toward Winters.

Epilogue:
It turns out that Group 2 had to stop again to eat:

"As we came to the stop sign in Calistoga, we looked to our right and noticed the bbq place (I forget the name), so we made a quick stop for more grub. Jess and Theresa had to go, though. This really is an eating club that utilizes motorcycles to get from restaurant to restaurant!

I've tried 2 times to send the picture of us there, but it's too big.

Thanks for a great day!

Jenn"

So anyway here are photos of Buster's from previous Rides.
Jenn finally figured out how to make the photo small enough to email. So this is Group 2 after "pigging out". Jenn, Eric, Phil, Las, Jeff and Scott.

Now Group 1 had the "older" folks who are headed to Oregon for the FOOL Ride {Fogies, Old, Oregon Loop}. The young stomachs stop at Buster's to eat. The Fogies stop at the Soda Canyon Store for a soda, but more importantly a potty break. :-)
It was a great day.

We had seven Vulcans, two Triumphs, two BMWs, a Yamaha, a Suzuki and a Harley.

Eric B ............................Elk Grove ..Low Rider
Jennifer B ....................Mt Aukum ..Low Rider Pillion
Larry C .........................Vacaville ..1500 Classic
Glenda C .......................Vacaville ..1500 Classic Pillion
Linda D .........................Pollock Pines ..VN 900
Mario D ........................Pollock Pines ..VN 2000
Jesse H .........................Sacto ..Sprint ST
Don I .............................Stockton ..F650
Will J ............................Coloma ..1500 Classic
Jeff L .............................Citrus Heights ..Nomad
David M .........................Roseville ..K1200LT
Las S ..............................Silver City ..Boogar
Scott S ...........................Sacto ..Sprint
Cranky S ........................San Jose ..Nomad
Phil T ..............................Citrus Heights ..Nomad
Theresa W ......................Rancho Cordova ..FJ1200

2007 May 17 - sayhey's celebration ride

CLICK on any photo to view the full size image.

Text and photos by Cranky. {comments in brackets by VSP}

Steve (sayhey) Stansberry was about to have a shoulder replaced,
a grandkid was well into the "wing" and wanted to go for a ride!!! The
shoulder replacement was put off and the kid was born, big and healthy,
and we still went for a ride!!!!!!!

The ride started out with Sayhey meeting Cranky at the Bailey overpass
for the ride to Santa Nella. We also had a surprise guest, Jest Rick came by to wish us a nice trip. He was off to see his mother and couldn't make the ride but wanted to stop by for a visit. He has a real nice VN 900!!!

So Cranky set up a route down south around the dreaded 152 thru Gilroy,
and over to Santa Nella. Seven bikes and one was 2up, showed and
we headed to Wool Growers Inn...

Parking lot at the Wool Growers

Jack and Mary are from Bakersfield. Bill "Wham Bam" and Fred are from Coarsegold. sayhey from Fremont. Cranky from San Jose. And Bob and VSP from Stockton.

The front of Wool Growers...
Inside of the bar.
We then fed our faces!!! All in anticipation...

Ate our hearts out.... beans and soup, great stuff... then the salad....
then the lamb stew... then what we ordered and real old fashion French Fries, sigh.... with some
wine.... I was stuffed by then... GBG then some ice cream..

I'M STILL FULL!!!!! GEEZ!!!!!

{Left to right: Mary, Cranky, sayhey, Fred, Jack, Bill, Bob and VSP}


In front hitch'n up to go, right after Don fixed his front left turn signal.

So off we went to Hollister and out Hwy 25!!!!! {Minus the CMC bike who headed back to Coarsegold.} {Now the original route had sayhey heading off to Roseville, so it was a criss crossing to Livermore - Tracy.} {Jack and Mary and Bill were planning on riding all the way to Gustine with us - about 12 miles.} {But sayhey was going to return to Fremont, so we changed the Ride to do Hwy 25 with Cranky and sayhey heading over to King City and back home via Hwy 101.} {The other four bikes rode Hwy 25 to the end at Hwy 198 and turned east to head to Coalinga.} {Bob insists that I somehow manage to turn these Day Rides into 400 milers.} {Wrong today was only 392 miles for us.}

{two funny looking Vulcans from Stockton in foreground}



This is an interesting shot. The group standing by the road in the middle
of NOWHERE!!! Our leader is a smoker, we WILL take breaks!!!
And that is GREAT!!!!!!!!! If you look in the background, there's a
big pile of gravel.

Stay with me here..... this is out in the middle of NOWHERE!!! and
I remember a story about a lost treasure!!!! And I knew it was behind
that pile of rocks!!!!!! GBG

Shucks, all I found was a bunch of wet gravel, whew!!!!!!!!! GBSEG
{note: the gravel was dry before Cranky went to seek his treasure :-) }
{This is a wide spot in the road about a mile or two before the King City turn off. It was time for a break. We had been riding since Los Banos with only one short stop at Tres Pinos, engines stayed on, where VSP checked to make sure everyone had enough gas.

Little did VSP realize that when you head to Coalinga on Hwy 198 from Hwy 25 there is NO GAS for about 95 miles. There is NO GAS on Hwy 198 west of Coalinga. Hwy 198 ends at Hwy 101 and no gas there. The nearest gas is 12 miles to the north on Hwy 101 at King City.}

2007 April 15 - Panoche Road

{CLICK on photos to view full size images}

Six (6) riders and bikes today. Three more than expected, kewl.
Cranky, of course - San Jose
Prunedale, was always gonna make it - Prunedale where else
VSP, the instigator - Stockton
Paul "Happy Wanderer" - Monterey
Lars - Hollister and soon to be Salem, OR
Gar, made it at the last minute - Santa Cruz

Cat and Top Dawg both had last minute items come up so could not make the Ride. Both had emailed me that they were in other ways tied up {but not tied up to each other}. Tiny also emailed me. His bike is still in the shop getting new rubber and some warranty repair.


Paul, Cranky, Lars, Gar, Prunedale at the former City Gas, now just a 76 station in Hollister.

Paul and Lars suggested we start by taking Cienega Road to Pacines and Panoche Road. Good choice. The road goes to the Hollister SVRA so we had a couple of pick ups loaded with dirt bikes pull over for us on this road, nice. It is a fun road but too much traffic going to the Dirt Track.

Here is Lars {today's Ride Leader} leading the pack at the start of Panoche Road.

This is the only shot of 8 that I took over my shoulder where I captured any bikes. The other 7 photos are of my helmet, the side of the road and the sky. Actually I barely got the bikes in the frame, but with Photo Studio I can make it look like the bikes are centered.


Lars or Prunedale needed to lead this ride since both have been over it many times - but the key reason is that they are both smokers. This is a smoke break along Panoche Road at a really scenic spot.

Cranky, Prunedale, Lars, Gar and Paul "Happy Wanderer"

Panoche Road had the gravel washed away by yesterday's rain and was in better shape than a lot of the roads that I have ridden. There are a few bumpy sections, but Lars would crank it up if the road was decent. It is a very remote section of California. Very scenic with a few ranches along the way.


The bikes parked in front of the Panoche Inn. {my little thumper is alone on the left - none of the big bikes wanted to be near it :-) } I would have ridden right past it. It is along a straight part of the road with no warning of its existence.

Gar fiddling with something as Lars kibitzes.


Panoche Inn's owner and his wife.

Interesting wood bike inside the Inn.



There is a BBQ on April 28th at the Panoche Inn. Here are the outside tables.

A shot of Panoche Road to the east from the parking lot of the Inn. Just a few hundred yards ahead we will turn north at Little Panoche Road. Panoche Road continues to the east, but turns to a dirt road very quickly and remains dirt for about 15 miles.

Little Panoche Road has some straights some twisties and is a fun little short ride of about 10 miles. The we get to I-5 and the WIND. The bigger bikes are okay, but I am riding a little F650 thumper that weighs in at under 400 pounds. I am riding at a constant lean angle.

Lars turns off I-5 at the Hwy 165 exit to Los Banos and I take the lead over to the Wool Growers Inn and LUNCH.

A staged photo of da' gang at the bar of the Wool Growers. {Lars had made a bee line to the Men's Room} The owner of the Panoche Inn had mentioned to me that the Iturbe family has the WG up for sale. After lunch I checked with Mrs Iturbe who was tending bar and she confirmed that they are trying to sell it. Crumb, I hope this does not mean the demise of another Basque restaurant.

Here is Paul at the entry door to the Dining Room.

Sunday is the only day of the week that the WG is open continuously from opening to closing. Tuesdays through Saturdays they open from 11:30 to 2:00 and then from 4:30 to 9:00. This ride was scheduled for a Sunday because we got here at 2:40PM.

Just sat down.

Same time as the picture above this one.
Just finished ordering.

The crew. Taken by a customer seated next to the crew........ Soup and Beans. This is one of Cranky's photos.


Finished the soup and now eating the salad and drinking the wine.

This is Prunedale's plate with a lamb chop, beans and chicken and rice. His other lamb chop is on the other plate. He did not have room on his plate for any of the wonderful cooked in lard French Fries. The French Fries taste the way they were meant to taste. After all this is a French Basque restaurant.

Look at the bones left on Lar's plate. Man can that old guy eat...

A quote from Paul "Happy Wanderer":

"And the FOOD! Ah, wow. I'm glad I took a picture of those lamb chops. I showed my wife and explained to her all the other food that came with it. She said we ate enough for three meals. "

After lunch Lars has to fix his right exhaust pipe where the retaining bolt for the strap had become loose. We say our good byes and Cranky and I head off to the San Joaquin Valley Veteran's Cemetery near Santa Nella. The other four head down 6th Street {alternate name is Main Street} heading for Hwy 152.

This was a good day.

---
Don "Very Short Person" Inamasu
VROC #5569-R
Stockton, CA 95219